NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (A-0-01 Parent R13/U13) Systems Approach to Understanding Cardiac Excitation-Contraction and Arrhythmias Multiple Principal Investigators: Donald M Bers, PhD, Ye Chen-Izu, PhD, Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, MD, and Leighton T Izu, PhD Departments of Pharmacology, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine/Cardiology, University of California Davis ABSTRACT Heart diseases such as arrhythmias and heart failure are the No.1 killer of the adult population in US and developed countries. To develop better and more effective therapies to combat heart diseases, it is critically important to gain more accurate and deeper understanding of the disease mechanisms. In the recent several decades, researchers have made important conceptual advances and accumulated large amounts of experimental data on the inner workings of the heart at molecular, cellular and whole organ levels. It is important now to enhance the integration of this rich experimental data into quantitative models which will allow using mathematical tools and computational power to unravel the dynamic interactions of the molecules and cells in the heart during health and disease. The proposed interdisciplinary conference will closely combine experimental study and mathematical modeling iteratively to achieve quantitative in-depth understanding of the dynamic systems that control heart function and diseases. Through this conference, we intend to bring together internationally renowned experimentalists and modelers in the cardiac field to accomplishing the following goals. (1) Gain deeper understanding of the detailed dynamic interactions between the heart's electrical system, Ca2+ signaling system, and the muscle contractile system that work together to control the rhythm and the strength of heart beats. (2) Summarize the recent advancements in the cardiac E-C coupling field, Discuss the critical issue and controversies, and identify the most important questions for further research. (3) Facilitate exchange of the information and ideas among experimentalists and computational modelers in order to develop interdisciplinary collaborations.